The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman: Chapters 37–61

by Gennifer Choldenko
Eleven-year-old Hank and his toddler sister, Boo, are abandoned at home by their mom, and he must use his wits to survive, take care of his sister, and find a new place to live. Over the next few months, they learn a lot about family, love and forgiveness, and second chances.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Chapters 1–10, Chapters 11–20, Chapters 21–36, Chapters 37–61
15 words 28 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. icon
    a symbol in a graphical user interface
    My hands tremble and my heart pounds in my ears as I type D-o-r-o-t-h-y D-i-n-g-l-e into the prisoner locator.
    The processing icon circles slowly round and round. And then the name pops up.
    Dorothy Dingle is in jail in Vista Tornado. She has been there since November 2, the date my mother disappeared.
  2. protocol
    code of correct conduct
    “It will be up to CPS what happens next. There must be protocol for this.”
    “Protocol?” I whisper.
    “A plan. The rules they need to follow.”
  3. interaction
    mutual or reciprocal dealings or influence
    “...Either way, she’ll be emotionally and psychologically raw and fragile. Having interactions with family can be too much.”
  4. motivated
    strongly driven to succeed or achieve something
    “What happens if Lou Ann says we can’t stay?”
    “You and Boo will go into the foster care system. But hopefully not for long. Your mom is anxious to get this all straightened out. She is motivated to stay sober. She has a lot going for her. She just needs to get back on track.”
  5. woozy
    feeling dizzy or unsteady
    My mouth tastes sour. My head is woozy, like I’m going to throw up.
  6. goatee
    a small chin beard trimmed to a point
    “He didn’t say goodbye.”
    Manny strokes his goatee. “Nobody says goodbye here.”
  7. charity
    an institution set up to provide help to the needy
    On Christmas Eve, staff turns on Christmas music and puts out store-bought sugar cookies and gifts a charity bought for us.
  8. decisive
    characterized by resoluteness and firmness
    “Am I allowed to play here?” I ask.
    “I don’t see why not.” Ray’s voice is decisive.
  9. cower
    show submission or fear
    Manny smiles at Boo. Boo cowers behind my leg.
  10. linger
    leave slowly and hesitantly
    The next day, Lou Ann brings over a first-aid kit with children’s Tylenol, Band-Aids, tweezers, alcohol wipes, and Neosporin. She hands the kit to Ray, then lingers on the doorstep.
  11. bygone
    past events to be put aside
    She flaps her hand in the direction of Ray’s house. “What do you say we let bygones be bygones?”
  12. jeopardy
    a source of danger
    “I was best friends with your grandma Mae for forty-eight years and I saw how many chances she gave your mom. Didn’t do any good. And the thought that you would put your sister in jeopardy like that. Uh-uh.”
  13. amicable
    characterized by friendship and good will
    “Our divorce was amicable, but it was still hard. She was ready to move on before I was.”
  14. impersonation
    mimicking the mannerisms of someone else
    “When my grandma Mae read her newspaper, she’d say”—I do my best Grandma Mae impersonation—“ ‘The world is going to the squirrels. Nutty up, nutty down, crazy all around.’ ”
  15. betrayal
    an act of deliberate disloyalty
    Ray says mistakes are good, that’s how you learn. (All adults say that. They must teach it at adult school.) He also says if you lie to people you care about, that’s a betrayal. I learned that one the hard way.
Created on Sun Jun 15 21:46:46 EDT 2025 (updated Wed Oct 01 14:10:14 EDT 2025)

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